Portsmouth planning approval rate

Portsmouth council approved 88.5% of planning applications and refused 11.5%, based on 9,214 decisions analysed. Ranked 79th out of 221 councils for strictness.

Last updated: March 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to present

88.5%

overall approval rate

9,214

Decisions analysed

8,152

Approved

1,062

Refused

Wards covered

Planning in Portsmouth? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.

Approval rate by application type

Different application types have different approval rates in Portsmouth. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.

Full (4,807 decided)

86.7%

Other (1,296 decided)

88.3%

Discharge of Conditions (840 decided)

96.7%

Trees (747 decided)

90.6%

Certificate of Lawfulness (538 decided)

91.8%

Advertisement (449 decided)

92.4%

Listed Building (294 decided)

93.2%

Prior Approval (243 decided)

69.5%

Approval rate by project type

These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Portsmouth — mined from 9,214 proposal descriptions.

Rear Extension (2,254 decided)

89.2%

Change of Use (Residential) (1,336 decided)

84.7%

HMO (1,003 decided)

85.5%

Dormer (756 decided)

78.7%

Garage / Parking (657 decided)

84.6%

Side Extension (571 decided)

87.0%

Extension (General) (313 decided)

85.9%

Outbuilding (230 decided)

92.2%

Conservatory (219 decided)

93.2%

Loft Conversion (200 decided)

75.0%

Flat Conversion (147 decided)

68.7%

Front Extension (109 decided)

85.3%

Hip-to-Gable Conversion (101 decided)

79.2%

Basement (87 decided)

87.4%

Wraparound Extension (46 decided)

91.3%

Annex (36 decided)

75.0%

New Build (27 decided)

70.4%

Approval rate by ward

Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Portsmouth. Click any ward for detailed statistics.

Drayton & Farlington (1,117 decided)

88.3%

St Jude (1,046 decided)

86.8%

St Thomas (1,021 decided)

88.6%

Charles Dickens (812 decided)

90.3%

Central Southsea (702 decided)

86.0%

Cosham (688 decided)

89.8%

Eastney & Craneswater (621 decided)

87.0%

Copnor (560 decided)

89.3%

Milton (539 decided)

91.8%

Hilsea (513 decided)

89.3%

Baffins (462 decided)

90.0%

Nelson (433 decided)

86.1%

Paulsgrove (356 decided)

90.7%

Fratton (288 decided)

83.3%

Wards in Portsmouth

Drayton & Farlington

88.3% approval · 1,117 decisions

St Jude

86.8% approval · 1,046 decisions

St Thomas

88.6% approval · 1,021 decisions

Charles Dickens

90.3% approval · 812 decisions

Central Southsea

86.0% approval · 702 decisions

Cosham

89.8% approval · 688 decisions

Eastney & Craneswater

87.0% approval · 621 decisions

Copnor

89.3% approval · 560 decisions

Milton

91.8% approval · 539 decisions

Hilsea

89.3% approval · 513 decisions

Baffins

90.0% approval · 462 decisions

Nelson

86.1% approval · 433 decisions

Paulsgrove

90.7% approval · 356 decisions

Fratton

83.3% approval · 288 decisions

Recent comparable decisions

The most recent residential planning decisions in Portsmouth, showing how the council decides real applications.

26/00044/HOU

Retrospective application for replacement of first floor windows · St Thomas · Tue 03 Mar 2026

Approved

25/01504/FUL

Change of use from house in multiple occupation (Class C4) to 7 person/7 bedroom · Hilsea · Fri 27 Feb 2026

Approved

25/01377/ADV

Retention of 2 non illuminated signs on boundary wall adjacent to car park entra · St Jude · Fri 27 Feb 2026

Approved

Showing 3 of 200 comparable decisions. See all 200 in the Pro Report →

What gets approved near your property?

In Portsmouth, 1 in 9 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Pro Report gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:

✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Portsmouth
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect

Get Portsmouth Pro Report — £79

Less than one set of revised drawings. Based on 9,214 decisions.

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